


Of the Soul

by isnonstop



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Deaf Character, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-19 08:25:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14870259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isnonstop/pseuds/isnonstop
Summary: "Music is an outburst of the soul"-Frederick DeliusThe song that unexplainably gets stuck in your head is the song your soulmate is listening to.Thomas has never heard a Soulmate Song.





	Of the Soul

**Author's Note:**

> italics: writing

Thomas loved music. His earliest memory was sitting curled up on the couch while his mother played beautiful music on her violin. Sometimes she would play songs he recognised and sometimes she'd make things up as she went. No matter what she played, Thomas loved it. And as soon as he was old enough to hold the violin he started learning how to play.

“Ima?” Thomas whispered one evening as he was curled tight into his mother’s side. They'd just finished his violin lesson for the day and now they were enjoying a big cup of hot chocolate before it was time for Thomas to go to bed.

“Yes, my sweet?” Mother said softly, running her fingers through his curls.

“How come I never hear a soulmate song?” Thomas’ voice was soft and hesitant, sounding a little scared.

“I don't know baby,” Mother’s fingers were gentle as she untangled a knot in his curls.

“How old were you when you first heard one?”

“I can't remember b’nee.”

“But you were littler than me right?”

“Yes.” Mother reluctantly admitted, brushing her fingers over his temple.

“Maybe I don't have a soulmate.” Thomas sighed, chewing on his bottom lip.

“Oh sweetheart, of course, you have a soulmate,” Mother hugged him closer, kissing the top of his curls. “Your soulmate songs will happen.”

Thomas didn’t respond, just sipped at his hot chocolate and curled up closer to his mother. Maybe his soulmate hadn’t been born yet. Or lived in a place with no music. Thomas was sure there was a reason and he would hear a soulmate song soon.

—-

The years passed and Thomas continued to not hear a soulmate song. All the kids at school had heard songs and would often tease Thomas about him never hearing one. When he was sent away to boarding school at eleven he started lying to his classmates about hearing songs so they’d stop teasing him. By the time he started university he had completely lost any hope of having a soulmate and had resigned himself to spending the rest of his life alone.

—

Finding your soulmate is like coming home after a long time away. There is a gentle calm, a sense of overwhelming rightness that fills you. When you meet your soulmate you know. No one has been able to figure out exactly how you know - although scientists have spent centuries trying to figure it out - but you do.

Thomas never expected that to happen to him. He’d given up hope when all the kids around him had started hearing soulmate songs and he continued to hear silence. So it was a great shock to him when he entered his dorm room for his freshman year of university only to be stopped completely in his tracks by a wave of a completely indescribable emotion. It was the most overwhelmingly pleasant feeling he’d ever experienced and it made Thomas gasp sharply and drop the box he’d been holding.

The other person in the room was facing away from him and didn’t react to the sound of the box landing on the floor with a loud thump. Thomas couldn’t bring himself to speak, too busy trying to sort through the emotions swirling through his body.

Was this what it felt like to meet your soulmate?

Thomas didn’t know how long he stood there staring but eventually, the person turned around to face him. Thomas was pretty sure his heart was going to beat straight out of his chest when his roommate (and apparently soulmate!) looked at him, the man’s eyes widening and body stiffening as he felt the same overwhelming feeling Thomas had.

“Hi,” Thomas finally managed to say, giving a small wave. “I’m Thomas.”

An adorable little shy smile filled the man’s face before he turned and grabbed something off his bed. Thomas frowned in confusion when he was handed a small card before looking down and reading it:

_Hi, my name is James. I’m deaf. I was supposed to be in a single room but the residence office messed up. I can read lips though so if you need to tell me something, please make sure you’re facing me and I’m looking at you. Thanks!_

“Oh,” Thomas breathed, finally understanding why he’d never heard a soulmate song. He looked up to find James watching him, that shy smile that Thomas instantly fell in love with still adorned across his face. Thomas gave a small wave before biting his bottom lip and signing slowly, “Hi, my name is Thomas.”

James’ eyes lit up and Thomas’ breath caught in his throat at the sight. Obviously, James didn’t expect for him to know how to sign. That thought made Thomas a little sad.

“I don’t know much,” Thomas said, making sure to speak clearly so there was no risk of James not being able to read his lips. “But I know some stuff.”

James smiled and reached out to grab a notebook from his desk, writing something down quickly before handing it to Thomas.

_I could teach you._

Thomas smiled, looking up from the notebook to face James before saying, “I’d like that.”

—

Thomas was sat on the floor with his back pressed against James’ bed, his soulmate gently brushing his hair. Luckily Move-In Day was about a week before classes started so they had spent that time getting to know each other better. Thomas sighed happily as James began braiding his hair, adjusting his laptop and turning on some music. He kept the volume down low even though he knew James couldn’t hear and thus wouldn’t be bothered.

It wasn’t until James had finished doing his hair that a question Thomas probably should have asked before came to mind. He paused his music, turning around to face James and resting a hand on his knee to get the man’s attention.

“James, do you hear soulmate songs?” Thomas asked, hoping that his question wasn’t rude or insensitive but needing to know the answer.

James shrugged, holding out a hand for Thomas’ laptop. Thomas handed it to him and waited while James typed out his response.

_Kind of. I don’t hear anything but I feel something when you’re listening to music. It’s like how if you put your hand on a speaker and you feel the vibrations. I can feel what you're listening to._

“Oh, okay,” Thomas said, smiling at James before leaning up to press a gentle kiss to his lips. James brushed his fingers over Thomas’ cheek and kissed him back gently before pulling back and signing,

”I’m sorry.”

Thomas frowned and signed back, “why?”

James once again picked up Thomas’ laptop and typed out something.

_You’ll never hear a soulmate song. Hearing them is the most comforting thing and you’ll never get that._

James looked sad when Thomas looked up from reading his response, which made Thomas feel sad. He didn’t like it when James was sad, especially when he was sad about something that was a part of him.

“I don’t care,” Thomas said, shutting his laptop and pushing it to the side. “I don’t care that I’ll never hear a soulmate song because I’ve got a soulmate and that’s all that matters.”

“But-“ Thomas grabbed James’ hands, cutting him off before he could sign anything else.

“I love you, James, and I have you and I don’t need a soulmate song,” Thomas said, hoping that his expression conveyed how serious he was since James couldn’t hear his tone. “I spent my entire childhood thinking I didn’t have a soulmate. Nothing could possibly feel better than the knowledge that I do. No soulmate song could compare to being able to hold you in my arms. Plenty of people have soulmate songs but never meet their soulmate. I’d take meeting you over hearing those songs any day.”

James smiled, his small shy smile that he saved just for Thomas, and pulled him up into the bed. Thomas let him, laying down by James’ side and leaning in to kiss him gently.

The room was quiet as they laid there together. And Thomas’ head was as silent as it always was, but that was okay. Because the silence was no longer taunting him with a lonely future. He had James. And James had spent his whole life in silence so Thomas knew he could grow to love it too. 

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](https://isnonstop.tumblr.com)


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